EP1022172A1 - Process for manufacturing of a motor vehicle door, and corresponding door - Google Patents

Abstract

The door assembly comprises of a main structural assembly (21) to which is attached an inner lining (213) and the outer door casing (212). This forms a lower door assembly to which an upper assembly (22) can be attached. The upper assembly comprises an opening which is closed by a window assembly. A section of the window assembly is mounted on rails such that it can be opened.

Description

The field of the invention is that of vehicle construction automobiles. More specifically, the invention relates to the manufacture of doors for these motor vehicles.

Conventionally, a motor vehicle door has a part full lower, and a glass upper part. Generally, the glass part is defined by an upper frame, in which a window is housed. This frame is formed in the door structure.

An example of a door of this type, which corresponds to most doors currently installed on vehicles, is illustrated in Figure 1. A such a door has a structural element 11, inside which are mounted the means 12 for opening and locking the door, as well as a window 13 and the mechanism 14 allowing its sliding, in a slot provided for this effect, made in the lower part of the door.

There is then reported an exterior body panel 15, and a interior trim 16.

Doors of this type have many drawbacks. They assume a large number of components to be assembled, and their assembly is long and delicate to implement, in particular with regard to the glass sliding 13, which must be set up very precisely.

The equipment for moving the window 13, whether it is of a manual or electric mechanism, is complex, heavy and bulky.

In addition, the fact that the glass can take place inside the part lower door poses various problems, both in terms of safety (positioning and dimensioning of the lateral reinforcements 17), than aesthetics or ergonomics (sizing of storage 18).

The presence of an upper frame secured to the lower part, both on the structural element 11 that on the body panel 15, also makes awkward manufacturing and mounting of the door, especially since a gasket suitable must be installed in this framework, to ensure watertightness.

Some manufacturers have presented vehicles whose doors do not do not have such upper frames, the glass ensuring only the shutter of the the top part. In this case, other problems appear, related in particular the rigidity of the assembly and the tightness.

Sealing is also a major problem with the slot by which the window can slide inside the door. Indeed, whatever either the effectiveness of the seals used, dust and humidity eventually penetrate inside the door, which can, more or less long term, alter or deteriorate the operation of the door opening mechanism, and / or that of the glass.

The invention particularly aims to overcome these different disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, an objective of the invention is to provide a method of manufacture of a door for a motor vehicle, which is simpler and more faster to implement than known manufacturing methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door, and the method of corresponding manufacturing, which has a number of components and a weight reduced compared to known techniques.

The invention also aims to provide such a door, for which the sealing is improved, without specific complex means or expensive.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing which enables doors with characteristics to be produced news, especially with regard to aesthetics and ergonomics, and including doors that free up more space for passengers and / or for interior storage.

• une partie inférieure, ne présentant aucun moyen de guidage d'une vitre mobile, et
• une partie supérieure, présentant une baie,

lesdites parties inférieure et supérieure étant ensuite solidarisées l'une à l'autre au niveau d'une zone d'assemblage de ladite portière, s'étendant sensiblement horizontalement et correspondant au dessus de ladite partie inférieure et au dessous de ladite partie supérieure.These objectives, as well as others which will appear more clearly below, are achieved according to the invention using a method of manufacturing a door for a motor vehicle, according to which said door is made in two mounted parts. independently of each other:

• a lower part, having no means for guiding a movable window, and
• an upper part, with a bay,

said lower and upper parts then being joined to one another at an assembly zone of said door, extending substantially horizontally and corresponding above said lower part and below said upper part.

Thus, the invention is based on a completely new approach, and not motor vehicle doors.

Conventionally, the upper part of a door is physically linked to its lower part, from the start of assembly, by the presence of a formed frame in the same body element and / or by the presence of means allowing sliding of the glass. According to the invention, the two parts are independent, and it is only when they are finalized that they are united.

There are no moving and / or shared elements between the two parties. They are simply united. Solidarity is carried out in an area assembly, which corresponds substantially to the bottom of the upper part (area over which, conventionally, extends the slot allowing the sliding of the window, in doors of known type).

Advantageously, said upper door part comprises means for closing said bay, comprising a fixed assembly and at least one movable panel, said movable panel making it possible to release or shut off a opening in said fixed assembly.

In other words, the upper part can advantageously carry a "flush" bay window, according to the technique developed by the applicant patent application.

In this case, preferably, said movable panel is mounted on at less a support and / or guide element (for example rails) integral of said fixed assembly.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said part upper part of the door comprises, on its inner face, a frame or at least a substantially vertical upright.

Preferably, at least one of the ends of at least one said support and / or guide elements is secured to said frame or to said substantially vertical uprights of said shutter means.

Thus, in the event of accidental breakage of the fixed assembly, the movable panel remains maintained, and does not risk injuring the driver or his passenger.

According to another aspect of the invention, said step of producing a lower part of the door advantageously comprises the assembly, on a structural element, an exterior body panel and trim interior.

Compared to conventional methods, these operations are therefore very simple, in particular due to the absence of means for sliding a window and a top frame (which should be fitted with a seal).

Said joining step can in particular implement at least one of the operations belonging to the stern including bonding, welding or soldering, riveting.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, said movable panel is mounted on two support and / or guide elements so that it can slide in a plane substantially parallel to the plane formed by said assembly fixed.

In particular, said movable panel can be mounted so as to come into the plane formed by said fixed assembly, in the closed position.

• un déplacement de verrouillage/déverrouillage, perpendiculaire au plan formé par ledit ensemble fixe, et permettant le passage dudit plan formé par ledit ensemble fixe à un plan de coulissement, sensiblement parallèle audit plan formé par ledit ensemble fixe,
• un déplacement par coulissement dans ledit plan de coulissement.

It can for example present kinematics broken down into two independent displacements:

• a locking / unlocking movement, perpendicular to the plane formed by said fixed assembly, and allowing the passage of said plane formed by said fixed assembly to a sliding plane, substantially parallel to said plane formed by said fixed assembly,
• displacement by sliding in said sliding plane.

According to one approach, said movable panel can have kinematics continuous, ensuring the gradual passage of the plane formed by said fixed assembly at a sliding plane substantially parallel to said plane formed by said fixed assembly.

According to different embodiments, said sliding plane is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle.

In another embodiment, said movable panel is mounted rocking about an axis of rotation parallel to the plane formed by said assembly fixed.

The invention also relates to the doors obtained by placing work of the process described above.

• la figure 1 déjà commentée en préambule, illustre, en éclaté, une portière de type connu ;
• la figure 2 illustre, en éclaté, une portière selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est un schéma synoptique simplifié du procédé de fabrication d'une portière telle qu'illustrée en figure 2.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of simple illustrative and nonlimiting example and of the appended drawings, among which:

• Figure 1 already commented on in the preamble, illustrates, in exploded view, a door of known type;
• Figure 2 illustrates, in exploded view, a door according to the invention;
• FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of the method for manufacturing a door as illustrated in FIG. 2.

As mentioned above, the invention proposes a completely new doors for motor vehicles, based on manufacturing in two independent parts, joined for example by gluing.

Figure 2 is an exploded example of such a door. She understands a lower part 21 and an upper part 22. No mobile element cooperating with both parties is planned. On the contrary, these two parts are independent and autonomous, and simply joined together so fixed and final, at the end of manufacturing.

The lower part 21 comprises three main components: a structural element 211, which receives on the one hand a body panel exterior 212 and interior trim 213.

The means of opening and locking the door, conventional in themselves are not shown. They are mounted on the structural element 211.

• facilité du montage, seuls trois composants (plus les moyens de verrouillage) étant nécessaires ;
• réduction du poids de l'ensemble, du fait de l'absence de la vitre coulissante et du mécanisme correspondant ;
• gain en volume, le logement 2131 et l'accoudoir 2132 ménagés dans le garnissage 213 pouvant (au moins partiellement) pénétrer à l'intérieur du volume défini par l'élément de structure 211;
• simplification du montage et amélioration des éléments de renfort latéraux 2111, du fait de l'absence de contraintes dues à une vitre coulissante;
• possibilité de nouveaux designs et choix ergonomiques ;
• suppression de tous les problèmes d'étanchéité, aucune ouverture n'étant conservée sur cette partie inférieure 21.

Various advantages of the invention appear directly, in view of this lower part 21:

• ease of assembly, only three components (plus the locking means) being necessary;
• reduction in the weight of the assembly, due to the absence of the sliding window and the corresponding mechanism;
• gain in volume, the housing 2131 and the armrest 2132 formed in the lining 213 being able (at least partially) to penetrate inside the volume defined by the structural element 211;
• simplification of assembly and improvement of the lateral reinforcement elements 2111, due to the absence of stresses due to a sliding window;
• possibility of new designs and ergonomic choices;
• elimination of all sealing problems, no opening being kept on this lower part 21.

The upper part 22 has a window (pane) 222, made of glass or in one similar material) defining a bay. A frame 221, mounted on the internal face (facing the interior of the vehicle), follows the edge of the bay. The frame 221 can of course be reduced to two substantially vertical uprights, possibly only over part of the height of the bay.

Note that there is no apparent external framework, which allows to obtain a flush, aesthetic and aerodynamic appearance. The internal framework 221 brings rigidity, and maintains, if necessary, the rails described below.

Although this window 222 can be fixed, it is most often desired that it can be opened (228), according to the needs and desires of the user. In this case, the opening system is carried out in the part upper 22, independently of lower part 21. These are advantageously a flush bay, as developed by the Depositor of the present patent application, and described for example in the patent application EP-0 778 168.

More generally, the relative movement of the movable panel relative to the set can be of any suitable type, regardless of the structure of the door according to the invention.

We can in particular provide that the mobile panel (s) can slide in a plane substantially parallel to that formed by the assembly mobile.

In a simplified embodiment, a movable panel is guided in sliding by rails, which include an internal seal for holding and guidance. In this case, sealing means are advantageously provided, when the movable panel is in the closed position.

According to another embodiment, the movable panel does not remain in a single plane parallel to the fixed set, but on the contrary comes in the plane of this fixed assembly, in the closed position, to close the opening. We thus obtain, at the cost of more complex guidance, better sealing and better aesthetic appearance, the closure device appearing, in the closed position, as a portion of the body, without visual disruption.

• un mouvement de coulissement parallèle au plan formé par l'ensemble fixe ;
• un mouvement de verrouillage/déverrouillage perpendiculaire à ce plan.

The guidance of the movable part can be carried out in a single progressive operation, as is proposed in the document EP - 0 778 168 already cited. According to another technique, the kinematics of the movable panel can be broken down into two movements:

• a sliding movement parallel to the plane formed by the fixed assembly;
• a locking / unlocking movement perpendicular to this plane.

Such kinematics is notably described in document EP-0 857 844, in the name of the same applicant as the present patent application.

An example of such a bay is illustrated in FIG. 2. The window includes therefore a fixed assembly 221, for example made of transparent plastic, in which has been formed an opening 228, which is closed or released by a panel mobile 223.

In the two aforementioned documents, the movable part slides inside of the vehicle. It is however possible that the sliding takes place outside of the vehicle, by adapting for this purpose the articulation members carrying the part mobile and mounted in the rails.

According to yet another approach, the mobile part can be tilting, and no longer sliding. In this case, one rail may be sufficient. An example of implementation of this type can be found in document EP-0 778 168.

Finally, of course, several moving parts can be provided, possibly with different assemblies (a sliding part and a part tilting for example).

Similarly, the fixed assembly can be made in one or more parts, in any suitable material It can be partially translucent, and integrated as soon as manufacturing the guide rails of the moving part.

Advantageously, the rails 225 and 226 supporting the movable panel extend (227) to the frame (or the uprights), and are secured to it latest. They can also, especially for the lower frame, be integrated to the frame itself. Thus, in the event of accidental breakage of the fixed assembly, the movable panel remains in place, held by the rail, and does not risk injuring the driver or passenger.

Note also that the closure device of the invention is not not necessarily strictly plan. Its surface can of course be curved, in particularly to follow the lines and the shape of the vehicle body. In Consequently, the term "plane" (fixed assembly plane, sliding plane) must of course to be understood as referring to the surface of the door. Especially, sliding can follow a curved path, as long as the rails and means of articulation that they contain are provided for this purpose.

Such a rack has many advantages, in terms of simplicity manufacturing, weight, cost, aesthetics, ... These different aspects are discussed in the documents already cited.

Advantageously, a mirror 224 is mounted directly on the part upper 22, more precisely on the frame 221 and / or on the fixed assembly 222.

Once the assembly of each of the parts 21 and 22, these are joined together to form the final door. Figure 3 summarizes this manufacturing process.

• l'assemblage 31 de la partie inférieure de la portière ;
• l'assemblage 32 de la partie supérieur de la portière ;
• la solidarisation 33 de ces deux parties inférieure et supérieure, par exemple par collage.

As already mentioned, the manufacture of a door according to the invention comprises three main stages:

• the assembly 31 of the lower part of the door;
• the assembly 32 of the upper part of the door;
• the joining 33 of these two lower and upper parts, for example by gluing.

The assembly 31 of the lower part includes in particular the reception of the structural element 311, the positioning of the locking means 312, then the interior trim 313 and the exterior body panel 314. No opening (slot) is provided, to allow the passage of a window sliding.

Carried out independently, assembly 32 of the upper part includes in particular the reception of the fixed assembly 321 of the bay, the assembly rails 322 (unless these have been produced directly in the mass of the fixed assembly), and the installation of the movable panel 323, and means of suitable locking and sealing. The whole is then put in place on the frame 324.

Finally, the joining 33 of the base of the frame 324 and the top of the part lower is performed. Preferably, this joining is simplified by providing means to assist the establishment of the two parts, one by relative to each other, such as a groove on the lower part, intended to receive the upper part (the glue and / or a joint having possibly been placed in said groove).

Claims (15)

Method for manufacturing a door for a motor vehicle, characterized in that said door is produced in two parts mounted independently of one another: a lower part (21), having no means for guiding a movable window, and an upper part (22), having a bay, and in that said lower (21) and upper (22) parts are then joined (33) to each other at an assembly zone of said door, extending substantially horizontally and corresponding to the top of said lower part and below said upper part. Method for manufacturing a door according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper door part (22) comprises means for closing said bay, comprising a fixed assembly (222) and at least one movable panel (223), said movable panel making it possible to release or shut off an opening (228) formed in said fixed assembly. Method of manufacturing a door according to claim 2, characterized in that said movable panel (223) is mounted on at least one element (225, 226) for support and / or guide integral with said fixed assembly (222). Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said upper part (22) of the door includes, on its inner face, a frame (221) or at least an upright substantially vertical. Method of manufacturing a door according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that at least one of the ends of at least one of said elements (225, 226) support and / or guide is secured to said frame (221) or to said substantially vertical uprights of said shutter means. Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said step (31) of making a lower part (21) of the door comprises the assembly, on an element of structure (211), an exterior body panel (212) and a trim interior (213). Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said joining step (33) places implements at least one of the operations belonging to the group comprising the bonding, welding or soldering, riveting. Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said movable panel (223) is mounted on two support and / or guide elements (225, 226) so as to be able to slide in a plane substantially parallel to the plane formed by said assembly fixed. Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said movable panel (223) is mounted so as to come into the plane formed by said fixed assembly (222), in position closed. Method for manufacturing a door according to claim 9, characterized in that said movable panel (223) has kinematics broken down into two independent displacements: a locking / unlocking movement, perpendicular to the plane formed by said fixed assembly, and allowing the passage of said plane formed by said fixed assembly to a sliding plane, substantially parallel to said plane formed by said fixed assembly, displacement by sliding in said sliding plane. Method for manufacturing a door according to claim 9, characterized in that said movable panel (223) has continuous kinematics, ensuring the gradual transition from the plane formed by said fixed assembly to a plane of sliding substantially parallel to said plane formed by said fixed assembly. Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of claims 10 and 11, characterized in that said sliding plane is inside the vehicle. Method for manufacturing a door according to any one of claims 10 and 11 characterized in that said sliding plane is outside the vehicle. Method of manufacturing a door according to claim 8, characterized in that said movable panel is mounted to pivot about an axis of rotation parallel to the plane formed by said fixed assembly. Door for automobile, characterized in that it was manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

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